Rethinking School Climate
Like you, we have spent the last few days looking over MDE guidance for schools as we look toward the upcoming school year in a COVID-19 world. One of the sections in the School Year Planning Guidance document that was particularly thought-provoking was about school climate. Given that school climate could feel very different depending on whether students are in a school building or a distance learning environment, this is an important aspect that should not be overlooked. Below, we have provided some information to help you answer three of the “Guiding Questions” that are found in the document.
Does your leadership have a clear school climate vision that is widely communicated, dedicated time for school climate improvement, and dedicated time for school staff development?
Your school board has already outlined a vision of what the climate of your school should look like. The implementation of these policies and procedures is the realization of that vision. Review your methods of communicating these policies to the school community and consider whether your engagement model needs to adapt to the current environment.
How will you clearly communicate rules about physical violence, verbal abuse, harassment, and bullying? Do you have clear and consistent procedures and enforcement for adult intervention?
Three policies worth reviewing are (1) Harassment and Violence, (2) Bullying Prohibition, and (3) Notification of Violent Behavior by Students. The policies should communicate your rules, as well as state how the community will be notified of these policies. Publishing details in the handbook isn’t the same as engaging families.
How will schools cultivate mutual respect for individual differences (e.g. gender, race, culture, etc.) at all levels of the school (student-student, adult-student, adult-adult), and overall norms to culturally sustain all students?
Your Equal Educational Opportunity policy provides the framework to make further procedural decisions. Mutual respect can be difficult as most of us rely heavily on nonverbal cues to understand each other. Increases in digital communication, face coverings, and distance will attenuate the nonverbal signals used by our brain to build rapport and trust. A conscious focus on developing norms to sustain social and emotional learning, including communication ground rules, frequency of video calls, etc. can boost sustain communities and continue to cultivate mutual respect among our learning laboratory peers.